CRA expects uptick in grant requests

Published: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 06:19 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Despite a $200,594 budget increase, the Downtown Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency has established a waiting list for grants in preparation for floods of requests.

“Though we have adequate grant funds, if some projects on the horizon come through it could be a challenge to meet all the requests,” said William Whitson, Panama City CRA director. “This is establishing a first-come first-served basis to help us at the end of the fiscal year.”

The Downtown Panama City CRA funded seven grants from the 2012 budget for downtown redevelopment projects totaling $25,236, which leveraged $14,486 in additional investments. In all four of the Panama City CRAs combined, 28 grants totaling $150,436 were given during the 2012 fiscal year, causing over $377,000 in extra investment, not including land purchases, and created or sustained 51 jobs, according to CRA figures.

Even though the Downtown CRA budget was increased from $25,000 in fiscal year 2012 to $225,594 in fiscal year 2013, city commissioners anticipate more requests than resources available by the end of the year.

The grant program itself, which is in its second year of existence, was created to attract investment and create jobs, Whitson said. Most of the requested projects documented from July to November were exterior façade works along Harrison Avenue.

“The CRAs have existed for some time,” Whitson said. “The grant program was so complicated no one would use it, so we turned it into an economic tool.”

The downtown area has benefited from the grant program, according to Whitson.

PANAMA CITY — Despite a $200,594 budget increase, the Downtown Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency has established a waiting list for grants in preparation for floods of requests.

“Though we have adequate grant funds, if some projects on the horizon come through it could be a challenge to meet all the requests,” said William Whitson, Panama City CRA director. “This is establishing a first-come first-served basis to help us at the end of the fiscal year.”

The Downtown Panama City CRA funded seven grants from the 2012 budget for downtown redevelopment projects totaling $25,236, which leveraged $14,486 in additional investments. In all four of the Panama City CRAs combined, 28 grants totaling $150,436 were given during the 2012 fiscal year, causing over $377,000 in extra investment, not including land purchases, and created or sustained 51 jobs, according to CRA figures.

Even though the Downtown CRA budget was increased from $25,000 in fiscal year 2012 to $225,594 in fiscal year 2013, city commissioners anticipate more requests than resources available by the end of the year.

The grant program itself, which is in its second year of existence, was created to attract investment and create jobs, Whitson said. Most of the requested projects documented from July to November were exterior façade works along Harrison Avenue.

“The CRAs have existed for some time,” Whitson said. “The grant program was so complicated no one would use it, so we turned it into an economic tool.”

The downtown area has benefited from the grant program, according to Whitson.

“If you drive around and take a look at awnings and paint jobs you can see we’ve helped,” Whitson said. “As we get better, the better it will be.”

The waiting list is one step in the grant program’s progression.

“It’s a way to more fairly manage grant funds,” Whitson said. “It may not come into play, it just depends on the amount of grants and those dollar amounts that came in.”

The list records the date requests were received and requests are prioritized by that date. Later in the fiscal year when funds are limited the waiting list will help the CRA staff organize and manage the process better than setting arbitrary deadlines, according to Whitson.

Staff can identify interest, manage funds and make sure projects are moved through the process to completion.

“Say we get close to August or September we would put the request on the list,” Whitson said. “If the funds ended up not being available it would roll over into next year.”

A similar list is in the works for Millville’s CRA. The area has seen an uptick in redevelopment grant requests recently.

“It is great,” Whitson said. “But at the same time we don’t have very deep pockets there.”

Two grants have been authorized in the 2013 fiscal year budget so far.

“We certainly want to put that money to work,” Whitson said. “But we want to make sure we have adequate dollars, so if large grant requests come in we can be prepared.”